5 Ways to Find Your Perfect Sports Watch

Even the most gifted athlete relies on ultra-smart training gear to ensure peak performance, whether it’s a sweat-wicking uniform or glare-resistant goggles. Watches in particular can prove crucial in extreme situations. Fractions of a second can mean the difference between gold and silver—or even life and death.

Whether you’re a serious triathlete or just on the hunt for a great-looking watch that can take a beating, it’s worthwhile to understand the critical features of a true sports timepiece.

Sweat, snow, ice, and water can all be part of a sporting environment—but a single drop of water can do major damage to a watch that isn’t built for it. Even if you’ll never strap on a scuba tank, certified dive watches might be a good choice, as they’re proven to withstand water pressure at depths of many meters. Keep an eye out for water resistance of at least 100 meters, or 330 feet.

Image: This certified pre-owned Omega Olympics watch is celebrated for the precision of its fine mechanical movement.

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Legibility

It doesn’t matter if your watch stays dry if you can’t read it. High-contrast displays, big numerals, and hands and indices that glow in the dark are essential for a tool watch. Though countless technological functions are available in today’s sports watches, beware of dials so cluttered that they’ll slow you down at exactly the wrong moment.

There really is a watch for every adventure. Many watches offer altitude, barometric pressure, and temperature readings, as well as compasses or GPS. Features like these could be lifesaving if heatstroke, hypothermia, or simply getting lost might be a concern. Some watches include audible sensors, so you can adjust functionality without looking at the dial. And of course the stopwatch function (or a chronograph) is invaluable on the field—or underwater, when accurately measuring dive time is key.

Image: With a compass, as well as temperature, barometer, and altimeter readings, the Suunto Core is great for hikers.

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Materials

Alligator straps and gold cases may be great for the boardroom, but they’re best left in the locker room before a match. Comfort and resilience are top priority here. Many athletes prefer straps and even watch cases at least partially composed of polymer or rubber. These materials are tough, lightweight, elastic, waterproof, and easy to wear even in extreme cold or heat. DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating is another smart option, offering a layer of carbon that’s ultra-hard and thus shock-resistant.

Of course, Sir Edmund Hillary famously scaled Mount Everest wearing his Rolex Oyster Perpetual. The watch’s steel case and leather strap resisted extreme cold, snow, and shocks, providing precise and reliable timekeeping throughout the expedition. Though precious metals may not be well-suited for extreme conditions, stainless steel is resilient, anti-corrosive, and resistant to the elements.

Image: A comfortable strap, logbook, and other features make the Tissot T-Race Touch great for runners.

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Movement

Though it’s tempting to equate quartz movements with sportiness due to their lower prices, resilience, and precision, remember that if your battery dies, you could be stuck in a dangerous situation. If you go for quartz, it’s wise to look for watches that offer a solar power back-up.

With proper maintenance, a mechanical watch can, in theory, run forever. Such timepieces have been worn on the moon, under water, and during polo matches. However, though most mechanical watches go through thorough validation, ensuring that timekeeping will function well in different positions as well as in high temperatures, most have not been cold-tested. With often hundreds of delicate elements comprising a mechanical movement, there is always the chance that something could go awry.

Fluctuations in accuracy are possible in both types of movements, and both are perfectly valid, depending on what you’re looking for your timepiece to accomplish. Be sure to do your research on what’s best for your needs—and above all, select the watch that speaks to you.

Image: The Breitling Chronomat GMT offers a chronograph and tachymeter scale to determine speed over a pre-measured distance.

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